Pic: Dorking Wanderers FC
FORMER Football League striker Dele Adebola has teamed up with Ryman South side Dorking Wanderers, becoming their Academy ambassador.
Adebola, born in Nigeria but brought up in Liverpool, enjoyed a fruitful career in the Football League, scoring over 200 times for the likes of Crystal Palace, Birmingham City, Hull City and Nottingham Forest.
He ended his playing career following the 2013-14 campaign after spells with Wrexham and Rushall Olympic before moving into coaching.
Adebola’s company Strike 9 Training specialise in delivering corporate football tournaments that drive teamwork and create new sources of funds for enterprises’ nominated charities and foundations.
The 41-year-old and his Strike 9 Training have officially joined forced with Wanderers, currently second in Ryman South, and Adebola will deliver specialist training sessions along with one-to-one mentoring and tuition.
Adebola told Dorking’s website: “In a day and age when football academies are so widespread across the UK, I would only associate both Strike 9 and myself with professionally run establishments that truly put the well-being, development and education of its students first.
“Dorking Wanderers Academy demonstrates this and much more, and I’m delighted to be working with a forward thinking team that has a track record of being successful both on and off the pitch.”
Dorking Wanderers’ operations director Kris Lea added: “We’re absolutely delighted that Dele has joined us in the role of Academy Ambassador.
“As he has demonstrated since retiring, he cares tremendously about grass-roots youth development, and as a bi-product of the Crewe Alexandra Academy he knows first-hand the role that well-structured Academies can play in developing talented young footballers whilst also ensuring that they thrive in the classroom.
“I’m sure that his vast playing experience will prove invaluable to both our students and the Academy team.”
